Fastenable Member for Sealing, Baffling or Reinforcing and Method of Forming Same

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a member for sealing, baffling and/or reinforcing components of an automotive vehicle. The assembly generally includes a carrier, an expandable material and at least one fastener.

CLAIM OF BENEFIT OF FILING DATE

The present application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/482,896, filed Jun. 26, 2003, herebyincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a member, which is employedfor providing sealing, noise/vibration reduction, structuralreinforcement or a combination thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For many years, industry and particularly the transportation industry,has been concerned with designing members for providing baffling,sealing, structural reinforcement or the like to automotive vehicles.For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,755,486; 4,901,500; and 4,751,249, each ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference, describe exemplary prior artdevices for baffling, sealing or reinforcing. Such members typicallyinclude an expandable material, which may or may not be combined withother components for forming a seal, a baffle, a structuralreinforcement or the like in a cavity of an automotive vehicle.

Often times, however, assembly of such members to the automotivevehicles or other articles of manufacture can present difficulties.Moreover, difficulties can be presented when designing a member that canapplied to various locations of an article of manufacture or variousdifferent articles of manufacture. Thus, the present invention seeks toprovide a member for baffling, sealing or reinforcing that overcomes oneof these difficulties or provides other advantages, which will becomeapparent upon reading the detailed description of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a member designed to providebaffling, sealing or reinforcement to an article of manufacture such asan automotive vehicle. The member generally includes a carrier, anexpandable material and one or more fasteners. Preferably, theexpandable material can be heat activated or otherwise activated toprovide the baffling, sealing or reinforcement to the article ofmanufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and inventive aspects of the present invention will becomemore apparent upon reading the following detailed description, claims,and drawings, of which the following is a brief description:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary member in accordance withan aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the member of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the member of FIG. 1 applied to astructure of an automotive vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another exemplary member in accordancewith an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the member of FIG. 4 taken along line 5-5.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the member of FIG. 1 applied to astructure of an automotive vehicle;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative member in accordance withan aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of another alternative member in accordancewith an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of still another alternative member inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the member of FIG. 9 applied to astructure of an automotive vehicle.

FIGS. 11A-18C illustrate examples of variation of the member of thepresent invention.

FIG. 19A is a sectional view of another alternative member in accordancewith an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 19B is a sectional view of another alternative member in accordancewith an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of another alternative member inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of another alternative member inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is predicated upon the provision of a member forproviding baffling, sealing, reinforcing or a combination thereof to anarticle of manufacture. It is contemplated that the member may beapplied (e.g., assembled) to various articles of manufacture such asboat, trains, buildings, appliances, homes, furniture or the like. Ithas been found, however, that the member is particularly suitable forapplication to automotive vehicles.

The member typically includes:

a) a carrier;

b) an expandable material disposed upon the carrier; and

c) one or more fasteners, which may be attached to the carrier, theexpandable material or both.

The member is typically assembled to an article of manufacture byattaching the one or more fasteners to a portion of the article suchthat the expandable material is located within a cavity or elsewhereupon the article. Thereafter, the expandable material is typicallyexpanded to provide baffling, sealing or reinforcement to the article.Advantageously, the fasteners, the carrier or both can assist inassembly of the member to an article of manufacture. Moreover, themember can be formed using techniques that are efficient, inexpensive,expedient or a combination thereof.

The carrier of the present invention may be formed in a variety ofshapes and in a variety of configurations according to the presentinvention. For example, the carrier may be planar or contoured,geometric or non-geometric, continuous or non-continuous, flexible orrigid, or otherwise configured. The carrier may also include only asingle continuous part or may be formed of multiple parts directlyconnected to each other or connected through additional components.

The one or more fasteners of the present invention may also be providedin a variety of shapes and in a variety of configurations as long asthey can secure the carrier, the expandable material or both to astructure. Examples of suitable fasteners include mechanical fasteners,clips, snap-fits, screws, combinations thereof or the like. Furthermore,it is contemplated that the one or more fasteners may be formed integralof a singular material with the carrier or may be formed of a differentmaterial and may be removably attached to the carrier.

According to one preferred embodiment, the fastener is provided as amagnetic material or an adhesive material that can attach (e.g., adhereor magnetically secure) the carrier and/or the expandable material to ametal or other structure. In such an embodiment, the magnetic materialor the adhesive material may be interspersed with the carrier or theexpandable material. Alternatively, the magnetic material or theadhesive material may be disposed upon the carrier or the expandablematerial or may be otherwise connected to the carrier or the expandablematerial.

The carrier and the one or more fastener may be formed of a variety ofmaterials such as metal, polymers, elastomers, fibrous materials (e.g.,cloth or woven materials), combinations thereof or the like. Preferably,the carrier and the one or more fasteners are at least partially formedof a polymeric material (e.g., a thermoplastic, an elastomer, aplastomer, a thermoset material, a plastic, a combination thereof or thelike). In one embodiment, it is contemplated that the carrier, the oneor more fasteners or both may be formed of the same material althoughtypically they are formed of different materials.

The expandable material may be formed from a variety of suitablematerials. Preferably, the expandable material is formed of a heatactivated material having foamable characteristics. The material may begenerally dry to the touch or tacky and may be shaped in any form ofdesired pattern, placement, or thickness, but is preferably ofsubstantially uniform thickness.

In one embodiment, it is contemplated that the expandable material has ashape substantially similar or identical to a portion of the cavity intowhich the material is placed, only the expandable material will besubstantially smaller (e.g. at least about 100%, 1000%, 2000% or 3000%smaller) than the portion of the cavity until expanded.

Though other heat-activated materials are possible for the expandablematerial, a preferred heat activated material is an expandable polymeror plastic, and preferably one that is foamable. A particularlypreferred material is a relatively high expansion foam having apolymeric formulation that includes one or more of an acrylate, anacetate, an elastomer, a combination thereof or the like. For example,and without limitation, the foam may be an EVA/rubber based material,including an ethylene copolymer or terpolymer that may possess analpha-olefin. As a copolymer or terpolymer, the polymer is composed oftwo or three different monomers, i.e., small molecules with highchemical reactivity that are capable of linking up with similarmolecules.

A number of baffling or sealing foams are known in the art and may alsobe used to produce the foam. A typical foam includes a polymeric basematerial, such as one or more ethylene-based polymers which, whencompounded with appropriate ingredients (typically a blowing and curingagent), expands and cures in a reliable and predictable manner upon theapplication of heat or the occurrence of a particular ambient condition.From a chemical standpoint for a thermally-activated material, thestructural foam is usually initially processed as a flowable materialbefore curing, and upon curing, the material will typically cross-linkmaking the material incapable of further flow.

One advantage of the preferred foam materials over prior art materialsis that the preferred materials can be processed in several ways. Thepreferred materials can be processed by injection molding, extrusioncompression molding or with a mini-applicator. This enables theformation and creation of part designs that exceed the capability ofmost prior art materials.

While the preferred materials for fabricating the expandable materialhas been disclosed, the expandable material can be formed of othermaterials provided that the material selected is heat-activated orotherwise activated by an ambient condition (e.g. moisture, pressure,time or the like) and cures in a predictable and reliable manner underappropriate conditions for the selected application. One such materialis the epoxy based resin disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,897, theteachings of which are incorporated herein by reference, filed with theUnited States Patent and Trademark Office on Mar. 8, 1999 by theassignee of this application. Some other possible materials include, butare not limited to, polyolefin materials, copolymers and terpolymerswith at least one monomer type an alpha-olefin, phenol/formaldehydematerials, phenoxy materials, and polyurethane materials with high glasstransition temperatures. See also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,766,719; 5,755,486;5,575,526; and 5,932,680, (incorporated by reference). In general, thedesired characteristics of the material include high glass transitiontemperature (typically greater than 70 degrees Celsius), relatively highexpansion and adhesion durability properties. In this manner, thematerial does not generally interfere with the materials systemsemployed by automobile manufacturers.

In applications where the expandable material is a heat activated,thermally expanding material, an important consideration involved withthe selection and formulation of the material comprising the foam is thetemperature at which a material reaction or expansion, and possiblycuring, will take place. Typically, the foam becomes reactive at higherprocessing temperatures, such as those encountered in an automobileassembly plant, when the foam is processed along with the automobilecomponents at elevated temperatures or at higher applied energy levels,e.g., during paint curing steps. While temperatures encountered in anautomobile assembly operation may be in the range of about 148.89° C. to204.44° C. (about 300° F. to 400° F.), body and paint shop applicationsare commonly about 93.33° C. (about 200° F.) or slightly higher. Ifneeded, blowing agent activators can be incorporated into thecomposition to cause expansion at different temperatures outside theabove ranges. Generally, suitable expandable foams have a range ofexpansion ranging from approximately 0 to over 1000 percent.

In another embodiment, the expandable material is provided in anencapsulated or partially encapsulated form, which may comprise apellet, which includes an expandable foamable material, encapsulated orpartially encapsulated in an adhesive shell. An example of one suchsystem is disclosed in commonly owned, co-pending U.S. application Ser.No. 09/524,298 (“Expandable Pre-Formed Plug”), hereby incorporated byreference.

It is contemplated that the expandable could be delivered and placedinto contact with the carrier, through a variety of delivery systemswhich include, but are not limited to, a mechanical snap fit assembly,extrusion techniques commonly known in the art as well as amini-applicator technique as in accordance with the teachings ofcommonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,397 (“Apparatus For ExtrudingFlowable Materials”), hereby expressly incorporated by reference. Inthis non-limiting embodiment, the material or medium is at leastpartially coated with an active polymer having damping characteristicsor other heat activated polymer, (e.g., a formable hot melt adhesivebased polymer or an expandable structural foam, examples of whichinclude olefinic polymers, vinyl polymers, thermoplasticrubber-containing polymers, epoxies, urethanes or the like) wherein thefoamable or expandable material can be snap-fit onto the chosen surfaceor substrate; placed into beads or pellets for placement along thechosen substrate or member by means of extrusion; placed along thesubstrate through the use of baffle technology; a die-cast applicationaccording to teachings that are well known in the art; pumpableapplication systems which could include the use of a baffle and bladdersystem; and sprayable applications.

Formation of the member of the present invention may include a varietyof processing steps depending on the desired configuration of themember. In any event, it is generally contemplated that the carrier, thefastener and the expandable material may be manually attached to eachother, automatically attached to each other or a combination thereof.Moreover, various processes such as molding (e.g., compression,injection or other molding), extrusion or the like may be used to formthe carrier, the fastener or the expandable material individually andsuch processes may be employed to attach these components together.

As a first example of a member according to the present invention,reference is made to FIGS. 1-3, which illustrates an exemplary member 10configured for placement within a cavity 12 of a structure 14 of anautomotive vehicle (not shown) for forming a baffling, sealing orreinforcement system 1 along with the structure 14 of the automotivevehicle. As will be appreciated, the member 10 may be suited forplacement in a variety of cavities for reinforcing, baffling or sealinga variety of structures within the automotive vehicle. For purposes ofillustration, the member 10 is shown as being assembled to a pillar orrocker structure 14 of an automotive vehicle, although it will beunderstood that the member 10 may be assembled to a variety ofautomotive structures (e.g., body members, frame members or the like) orto a variety of structure of other articles of manufacture.

The member 10 has an overall rectangular configuration, but may beformed in a variety of shapes. Generally, the member 10 includes acarrier 20 with an expandable material 22 disposed thereon. The member10 also includes a pair of fasteners 24 attached to the carrier 20.

The carrier 20 may be formed in any of the shapes or configurationsdiscussed herein and may be formed of any of the materials discussedherein. In the illustrated embodiment, the carrier 20 is generallyrectangular and is formed of a polymeric film (e.g., a polyester film).The thickness (t) of the polymeric film shown is preferably below about1 cm, more preferably below about 0.5 mm and even more preferably belowabout 0.3 mm, although thickness of the carrier 20 may vary widely fordifferent shapes and applications. The carrier 20 in FIGS. 1-3 isgenerally flexible and has an elongation at break of greater at about20° C. of greater than about 5%, more preferably greater than about 50%,even more preferably greater than about 100%.

Alternative films or layer materials which may be employed in thepresent invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,669 and U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/923,138, filed Aug. 6, 2001, both ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

The expandable material 22 may be any of the expandable materialsdisclosed herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the expandable material22 is a material that experiences relatively high levels of expansionupon exposures to temperatures of between about 148.89° C. to 204.44° C.(about 300° F. to 400° F.) (i.e., temperatures typically experienced inautomotive painting or coating operations). Accordingly, the preferredexpandable material 22 is configured to have a volumetric expansion ofat least about 1500%, more preferably at least about 2000%, even morepreferably at least about 2500% and still more preferably at least about3000% its original or unexpanded volume. An example of such anexpandable material with such expansion capabilities is disclosed incommonly owned copending U.S. Patent Application titled ExpandableMaterial, attorney docket # 1001-141P1, filed on the same date as thepresent application and fully incorporated herein by reference for allpurposes.

The expandable material 22 is generally shaped in a rectangular or blockconfiguration, but may be shaped as needed or desired depending upon theapplication of the member. In the embodiment shown, the expandablematerial 22 is disposed upon two opposing surfaces of the carrier 20 andsubstantially encloses an elongated edge of the carrier 20. Of course,it is contemplated that the material may be otherwise disposed upon thecarrier 20 and may be applied to the carrier as a single piece (e.g.,strip) or multiple pieces (e.g., strips).

The skilled artisan will be able to think of a variety of fastenerssuitable for use in the member 10 of the present invention. Preferredexamples have been disclosed herein, however, others may also beemployed. The fasteners 24 of the member 10 shown are plastic andinclude a cap portion 30 and an elongated portion 32. As shown, theelongated portion 32 include a plurality of extensions 34 that areillustrated as conical, but which may be otherwise shaped as desired.

Attachment of the fasteners 24 to the carrier 20 may be accomplishedaccording to any of the techniques described herein or by othertechniques. For attachment to the carrier 20 of FIGS. 1-3, the elongatedportion 32 of each of the fasteners 24 extends into and preferablythrough an opening 36 (e.g., a through-hole) formed in the carrier 20.In this manner, the extensions 34, the cap 30 or both interference fitthe fastener 24 to the carrier 20.

Generally, formation of the member 10 includes shaping of the carrier 20into a desired configuration, application of the expandable material 22to the carrier 20 and optionally, depending upon the configuration,attachment of the fasteners 24 to the carrier 20, the expandablematerial 22 or both. It should be recognized that within this generalapproach, the member 10 illustrated may be formed using a variety ofmore specific techniques. For exemplary purposes, however, one preferredtechnique is described in detail. According to the preferred technique,material (i.e., film material) for the carrier 20 is provided as anelongated strip to an extrusion die in a continuous or non-continuousmanner. At the same time, the expandable material 22 is being emittedfrom an extruder to the same extrusion die also in a continuous ornon-continuous manner. As both the elongated strip and the expandablematerial are fed to and through the extrusion die (e.g., bycoextrusion), the expandable material intimately contacts and adheres tothe elongated strip with a sectional configuration as shown in FIG. 2.If desired, the portion of the elongated strip onto which the expandablematerial is extruded may be perforated (e.g., include one or morethrough-holes) for improving the strength of attachment between theexpandable material and the carrier material.

After extrusion, the strip and the expandable material are preferablycut at predetermined lengths, which correspond to a length of the member10. Formation of the openings 36 in the carrier 20 or carrier materialmay be accomplished by cutting, punching or any other suitabletechnique. The openings 36 for the fasteners 24 may be formed in thecarrier 20 or carrier material before or after the extrusion of theexpandable material onto the strip of carrier material. Moreover, thefasteners 24 may be inserted into the openings 36 prior to or afterextrusion. Depending, upon the order of steps, the member may becompletely formed when the elongated strip and expandable material arecut at predetermined lengths or thereafter.

The carrier 20 is assembled to the structure 14 in FIG. 3 by attachingthe fasteners 24 to the structure 14. In the particular embodimentillustrated, the elongated portion 32 of each of the fasteners 24 isextended into a respective opening 40 (e.g., cavity, through-hole or thelike) in the structure 14 of the automotive vehicle. Upon insertion, theextensions 34 of the fasteners 24 interference fit the fasteners 24 tothe structure 14 thereby securing the fasteners 24, the carrier 20 andthe expandable material 22 to the structure 14. Advantageously, as shownin FIG. 3, the flexibility of the carrier 20 allows the carrier to bendor contour to allow attachment of the fasteners 24 to the structure 14.Moreover, it is contemplated that, for structure including contouredsurfaces, the carrier can flex or bend to adapt to such surfaces.

Once assembled to the structure 14, the expandable material 22 isexposed to heat, which is preferably, although not necessarily, providedduring a coating or painting operation performed upon the automotivevehicle. In turn, the heat activates the expandable material 22 toexpand (e.g., foam) such that the expandable material 22 contacts, wetsand adheres to surfaces 42, 44, 46 of the structure 14 that define thecavity 12. Thus, a system is formed that includes the structure 14defining the cavity 12 and including the expandable material 22 in anexpanded condition thereby at least partially filling the cavity 12 forsealing, baffling, or reinforcing the structure 14. Preferably, the(e.g., the cross-section shown) expandable material 22 substantiallyentirely spans the entirety of one or more cross-section of the cavity12 for sealing the cavity 12 such that no openings are available therebyprohibiting the passage of debris, water, sound, air or a combinationthereof through the cavity 12.

As a second example of a member according to the present inventionreference is now made to FIGS. 4-6, which illustrate another exemplarymember 50 configured for placement within a cavity 52 of a structure 54of an automotive vehicle (not shown) for forming a baffling, sealing orreinforcement system along with the structure 54 of the automotivevehicle. As will be appreciated, the member 50 may be suited forplacement in a variety of cavities for reinforcing, baffling or sealinga variety of structures within the automotive vehicle. For purposes ofillustration, the member 50 is shown as being assembled to a pillarstructure 54 of an automotive vehicle, although it will be understoodthat the member 50 may be assembled to a variety of automotivestructures (e.g., body members, frame members or the like) or to avariety of structures of other articles of manufacture.

The member 50 is shown as elongated, but may be shortened as desired orneed. Generally, the member 50 includes a carrier 60 with an expandablematerial 62 disposed thereon. The member 50 also includes a fastener 64attached to the carrier 60.

The carrier 60 may be formed in any of the shapes or configurationsdiscussed herein and may be formed of any of the materials discussedabove. In the illustrated embodiment, the carrier 60 includes a base 70that is substantially planar and generally rectangular. The carrier 60also includes optional extensions 72 extending away from the base 70.

The skilled artisan will be able to think of a variety of fastenerssuitable for use in the member 50 of FIGS. 4-6. The fastener 64 shown iscomprised of a pair of first extensions 80 and a pair of secondextensions 82. It is contemplated, however, that the fastener 64 may beformed with only one first extension, one second extension or both. Asshown, one of the first extensions 80 extends from a first side of thebase 70 and one of the first extensions 80 extends from a second side ofthe base 70. Both of the first extensions 80 are illustrated ascontoured (e.g., arced) at least partially toward an edge 84 of the base70. Each of the second extensions 82 extend from the edge 84 of the base70 respectively toward a different one of the first extensions 80. Inalternative embodiments, however, it is contemplated that the firstextensions, the second extensions or both may extend in differentdirections and may extend from different locations than those described.

In the embodiment shown, there is only one fastener 64 that is generallycoextensive with the base 70. However, it is contemplated that thefastener 64 may be intermittent and may, therefore, form multiplefasteners. Alternatively, one fastener may be employed that is notsubstantially coextensive with the base 70.

The expandable material 62 may be any of the expandable materialsdisclosed herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the expandable material62 is a material that experiences relatively high levels of expansionupon exposures to temperatures of between about 148.89° C. to 204.44° C.(about 300° F. to 400° F.) (i.e., temperatures typically experienced inautomotive painting or coating operations). Accordingly, the preferredexpandable material 62 is configured to have a volumetric expansion ofat least 1500%, more preferably at least 2000%, even more preferably atleast 2500% and still more preferably at least 3000% its original orunexpanded volume.

The expandable material 62 is generally shaped in a cylindricalconfiguration, but may be shaped as needed or desired depending upon theapplication of the member. In the embodiment shown, the expandablematerial 62 is disposed upon the two opposing surfaces of the base 70 ofthe carrier 60 and substantially encloses an elongated edge of thecarrier 60. Of course, it is contemplated that the material may beotherwise disposed upon the carrier 60.

Generally, the formation of the member 50 includes shaping of thecarrier 60 the fastener 64 or both into a desired configuration andapplication of the expandable material 62 to the carrier 60. It shouldbe recognized that within this general approach, the member 50illustrated may be formed using a variety of more specific techniques.For exemplary purposes, however, one preferred technique is described indetail. Preferably, the fastener 64, the extensions 80, 82, of thefastener 64, the extensions 72 of the base 70, the base 70 or acombination thereof are integrally formed (e.g., extruded, molded or thelike) of a single material.

According to the preferred technique, material (i.e., nylon) for thecarrier 60 is provided to an extruder (e.g., a twin-screw extruder) andextruded through a first die to produce an extrudate with the sectionalconfiguration of the carrier 60 as shown in FIG. 5. Thereafter or at thesame time, the expandable material 62 is also emitted from an extruder(either the same or a different extruder) and both the carrier extrudateand the extruded expandable material or fed to a second extrusion die(preferably in a cross-head die extrusion operation) in a continuous ornon-continuous manner. As both, the elongated strip and the expandablematerial are fed to and through the extrusion die, the expandablematerial intimately contacts and adheres to the carrier extrudate in thesectional configuration shown in FIG. 2. If desired, the portion of theextrudate onto which the expandable material is extruded may beperforated for improving the strength of attachment between theexpandable material and the carrier material.

Generally, a variety of extruders may be employed to form the members,the materials, the carriers, the fasteners, a combination thereof or thelike according to the present invention. According to one preferredembodiment of the invention, the extruder employed is a single screwextruder, which may also be known a kneader, a continuous kneader or aco-kneader, but may be a multi-screw (e.g., twin screw extruder). Whenused, the single screw extruder preferably includes a single segmentedscrew with interrupted screw flights and stationary pins both located inan extruder barrel. In operation, the single screw extruder preferablyperforms a distributive type mixing upon whatever material is forming adesired component of the present invention. As an example, such mixingmay be obtained by having the screw rotate and reciprocate back andforth at the same time such that the material is mixed due to forwardpumping but the material is also divided each time it passes a pin forcausing the distributive type mixing.

Advantageously, the single screw extruder, the distributive mixing orboth can provide sufficient intermixing of material ingredients whileimparting lower energy to the material thereby maintaining and applyingthe material at a lower temperature. In turn, more reactive or loweractivation temperature blowing agents, blowing agent activators or bothmay be employed particularly for expandable materials. As an example, itis contemplated that such an extruder can maintain and can applymaterial at temperatures of less than about 150° C., more preferablyless than about 120° C. and even more preferably less than about 70° C.As an added advantage, it is contemplated that such an extruder is lesslikely to tear reinforcement fillers such as carbon fibers, glassfibers, nylon fibers or aramid pulp thereby allowing the formation of amaterial with greater integrity.

After extrusion, the carrier extrudate and the expandable material arepreferably cut at predetermined lengths, which correspond to a length ofthe member 50. At this juncture, the member 50 is substantially formedas shown in FIGS. 4-6. For forming the member 50 with multiple fastenersor with one or more fasteners that are not coextensive with theexpandable material 62, portions of the fastener 64, the base 70 or bothmay be cut away and optionally recycled through the extruder. An exampleof such a member having two fasteners 64(a), which will operate in thesame manner as the fastener 64 of FIGS. 4-6 is shown in FIG. 7

Referring again to FIGS. 4-6, the carrier 60 is assembled to thestructure 54 in FIG. 6 by attaching the fastener[s] 64 to the structure54. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the pair of secondextensions 82 and a portion of the base 70 are extended through anopening 90 (e.g., a through-hole) in the structure 54. Preferably, theextensions 82 are flexed toward each other as they are passed throughthe opening 90 until they are entirely through the opening 90 such thatthe extensions 82 can spread away from each other and interference fitthe member 50 to the structure 54. Upon creating such an interferencefit, the pair of first extensions 80 preferably abut an inner surface 92of the structure 54 and the second extensions 82 abut an outer surface94 of the structure 54 thereby limiting motion of the base 70 and therest of the member 50 relative to the structure 54.

Once assembled to the structure 54, the expandable material 62 isexposed to heat, which is preferably, although not necessarily, providedduring a coating or painting operation performed upon the automotivevehicle. In turn, the heat activates the expandable material 62 toexpand (e.g., foam) such that the expandable material 62 contacts, wetsand adheres to surfaces 92 of the structure 54 that define the cavity52. Thus, a system is formed that includes the structure 54 defining thecavity 52 and including the expandable material 62 in an expandedcondition at least partially filling the cavity 52 for sealing,baffling, or reinforcing the structure 54. Preferably, the expandablematerial 62 substantially entirely spans one or more cross-sections(e.g., the cross-section shown is FIG. 6) of the cavity 52 for sealingthe cavity 52 such that no openings are available thereby prohibitingthe passage of debris, air, water, sound or the like through the cavity52.

In one alterative embodiment, it is contemplated that a member accordingto the present invention may include one or more extension for assistingin guiding the expansion of the expandable material. For example, inFIG. 8, there is illustrated the member 50 of FIGS. 4-6 wherein one ofthe first extensions 80 includes a further extension 100 extending at anangle relative to the first extension 80 and in generally opposingrelation with the expandable material 62.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is illustrated a member 110 having acarrier 112 that includes a magnetic fastener 114 and an expandablematerial 116 disposed upon the carrier 112. In the embodiment shown, thecarrier 112 is formed as a strip of a plastic material having themagnetic fastener 114 disposed upon the carrier 112 as a magnetic strip.It is contemplated, however, that the carrier 112 and the fastener 114may include only a magnetic strip such that they are one in the same. Asanother alternative, it is contemplated that the fastener 114 may bemagnetic material (e.g. particles), which are intermixed with theexpandable material 116.

For forming the member 110, the expandable material 116 may be appliedto the carrier 112, the fastener 114 according a variety of manual,semi-automated or fully automated techniques. For example, theexpandable material 116 and the carrier 112, the fastener 114 or bothmay be coextruded or cross-head extruded according to one of thetechniques described for the members describe above. For application ofthe member 110 to a structure 120 as shown in FIG.

10, the fastener 114 (i.e., the magnetic material) is expose to asurface (e.g., a metal surface) of the structure 120 to which thefastener is magnetically attracted. In turn, the fastener 114 securesthe expandable material 116 in place (e.g., in a cavity 122) until itexpands as described in relation to the other embodiments above.

In addition to the magnetic material, it is also contemplated, asdiscussed above, that a pressure-sensitive material (e.g., a tackyadhesive material, a two-way tape or the like) may be employed in placeof the magnetic material as the fastener of the member. In such anembodiment, the pressure-sensitive material could be applied to theexpandable material by any of the methods discussed herein (e.g.,co-extrusion, manual or automatic methods or the like). Moreover, thepressure-sensitive material may be employed to secure (e.g., adhesivelysecure) the member to a structure is a manner similar to or the same asthat used for the magnetic material.

Alternative Embodiments

As previously discussed, the fastener, the carrier and the expandablematerial may be formed in a variety of configurations according to thepresent invention. For exemplary purposes, several of those shapes andconfigurations are illustrated in FIGS. 11A-18C.

The carrier will typically be formed with a profile, which may be anextrusion profile (i.e., a profile dependent upon the die through whichthe carrier material is extruded) or a profile based upon the type ofmaterial used for the carrier and the manner in which the material isprovided. Generally, it is contemplated that dimensions of the profileof the carrier can change (e.g., become thicker or thinner) at differentcross-sections taken along a dimension (e.g., a length or otherdimension substantially perpendicular to the profile) of the carrier,but typically the dimensions remain substantially uniform.

As respectively shown in FIGS. 11A-11B, the carrier may have a straightprofile, an angled profile, an arced profile, a combination thereof orthe like. As respectively shown in FIGS. 12A-12C, the carrier may havean L-shaped profile, an S-shaped profile, a C-shaped profile, a profileshaped according to any other letter of the alphabet, a combinationthereof or the like. As respectively shown in FIGS. 13A-13C, it isfurther contemplated that the carrier may have a zig-zag profile, a wavyprofile, an oblong profile, a combination thereof or the like. Ofcourse, these profiles are shown for exemplary purposes only and are inno way intended to limit the shape of the carrier.

The expandable material, like the carrier, will also typically be formedwith a profile, which may be an extrusion profile (i.e., a profiledependent upon the die through which the expandable is extruded) or aprofile based upon the type of material used for the expandable materialand the manner in which the expandable material is provided. Generally,it is contemplated that dimensions of the profile of the expandablematerial can change (e.g., become thicker or thinner) at differentcross-sections taken along a dimension (e.g., a length or otherdimension substantially perpendicular to the profile) of the expandablematerial, but typically the dimensions remain substantially uniform.

As respectively shown in FIGS. 14A-14B, the expandable material may havea triangular profile, a diamond-shaped profile, a circular profile, acombination thereof or the like. As respectively shown in FIGS. 15A-15C,the expandable material may have a non-geometric profile, a squareprofile, a rectangular profile a combination thereof or the like. Asrespectively shown in FIGS. 16A-16B, it is further contemplated that theexpandable material may have a profile with a larger base portion 200attached to a carrier and a smaller extension portion 202 extendingtherefrom, an extension portion 204 attached to a carrier and extendingto a larger base portion 206. In FIG. 16 C, there is illustrated aprofile of an expandable material having a central base portion 208 anda plurality of extensions 210, which may assist in locating and/orsecuring the expandable material (e.g., in a cavity). Of course, theseprofiles are shown for exemplary purposes only and are in no wayintended to limit the shape of the carrier.

The fastener, particularly when used to form an interference fit, willtypically include one or more protrusions or extensions, which mayextend from a portion of the fastener, a portion of the carrier, aportion of the expandable material or a combination thereof foreffecting the interference fit. As shown respectively in FIGS. 17A-17B,the fastener may include one extension, multiple extensions or asingular thicker portion (e.g. shown as a bulbous protrusion). As shownrespectively in FIGS. 18A-18C, the fastener may include a single annularprotrusion, may be threaded or may include multiple annular protrusions.Again, these fastener configurations are shown for exemplary purposesonly and are in no way intended to limit the configuration of thefastener.

In additional alternative embodiments, it is contemplated that themember of the present invention may include multiple separate masses ofexpandable material and the masses may be configured to volumetricallyexpand the same amount or different amounts relative to each other. Asan example, FIG. 19A illustrates a member 250 that includes a polymericfilm carrier 252 with a first mass 256 of expandable material on oneside 258 of the carrier 252 and a second mass 260 of expandable materialon another opposite side 262 of the carrier 252. It can also be seenthat the member includes one or more fasteners shown as a push pin 266extending through one or more openings in a central portion 268 of thecarrier 252 between the two masses 256, 260 of expandable material. FIG.19B illustrates a member 280 that includes a polymeric film carrier 282with a first mass 284, a second mass 286 and a third mass 288 ofexpandable material. The carrier 282 is formed of a first polymeric film292 and a second polymeric film 294. As can be seen, the second mass 286of expandable material is sandwiched between the first mass 284 ofexpandable material and the third mass 288 of expandable material andalso sandwiched between the first polymeric film 292 and the secondpolymeric film 294.

In another alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 20, there is a member300 having a carrier 302 that is a polymeric film and is substantiallyenclosed within a mass 306 of expandable material. In the embodiment,one or more fasteners shown as a push-pin 308 extend through the carrier302 and the mass 306 of expandable material.

In still another alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 21, there is amember 320 having a polymeric film carrier 322 that is folded back ontoitself such that the carrier 322 is wrapped about a mass 326 ofexpandable material. A plurality of openings shown as through-holes 330extend through the carrier 322 at the portion of the carrier 322 that iswrapped about and surrounds the mass 326 of expandable material.Moreover, one or more fasteners shown as push-pins 336 extend throughtwo layers of the polymeric film carrier 322. Advantageously, the mass326 of expandable material, upon expansion, can flow through thethrough-holes 330 for adhering to walls of a structure.

It should be understood that the members 250, 280, 300, 320 of FIGS.19A, 19B, 20 and 21 and the other alternative embodiments may be formedand applied according to any of the techniques described herein.

Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the variousstructures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of theinvention, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Pluralstructural components can be provided by a single integrated structure.Alternatively, a single integrated structure might be divided intoseparate plural components. In addition, while a feature of the presentinvention may have been described in the context of only one of theillustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or moreother features of other embodiments, for any given application. It willalso be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the uniquestructures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods inaccordance with the present invention.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed. Aperson of ordinary skill in the art would realize however, that certainmodifications would come within the teachings of this invention.Therefore, the following claims should be studied to determine the truescope and content of the invention.

1. A method of forming members for providing sealing, baffling orreinforcement to one or more structures, the method comprising;providing a carrier material, the carrier material forming an elongatedplanar rectangular carrier having substantially uniform thickness;co-extruding an expandable material upon the carrier material in acontinuous manner so that the expandable material substantiallysurrounds the entirety of the carrier material; providing a fastenerconnected to one end of the carrier. 2-4. (canceled)
 5. A method as inclaim 1 wherein he fastener is a mechanical fastener that is separatelyattached to the carrier.
 6. A method as in claim 1 wherein the fasteneris integrally formed of single material with the carrier.
 7. A method asin claim 1 wherein the carrier material is extruded simultaneously withthe expandable material, the carrier material is extruded prior to thecoextrusion of the expandable material upon the carrier or the carriermaterial is coextruded with the expandable material and the resultingcoextrusion is further extruded to form the profile configuration.
 8. Amethod as in claim 1 wherein the expandable material is adapted forforming a sealing material, an acoustical material, an adhesive, astructural foam, or a combination of at least two of the foregoing.
 9. Amethod as in claim 1 wherein the carrier further includes a layer of amaterial over at least a portion of its surface that is applied theretoby coextrusion, lamination, adhesion, vapor deposition, plasmadeposition, spray coating, brushing, swabbing, dipping, plating orcombinations thereof.
 10. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandablematerial is a material that is thermally deformable at the temperatureof extrusion, but upon thermal activation at an elevated temperaturewill cross link to form a thermoset material.
 11. A method as in claim 1wherein the expandable material includes a plastic selected from thegroup consisting of thermoplastics, thermosets, or a combination thereofor a resin selected from the group consisting of an epoxy resin, athermoplastic resin, an acetate resin, an EPDM resin, a phenoxy resin, apolyurethane resin or a combination thereof.
 12. A method as in claim 1wherein the carrier material is formed at least partially of a materialselected from a metal, a polymeric material, a carbon fiber, graphite,glass, or combinations thereof.
 13. A method as in claim 1 wherein thecarrier material is a polymeric material that is selected from apolyolefin, a polyamide, a polyester, polystyrene, a poly(meth)acrylate,a polyvinyl chloride, a polysulfone, or combinations thereof.
 14. Amethod as in claim 1 wherein the carrier material is a polymericmaterial selected from polyethylene terephthalate, high densitypolyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, low density polyethylene,polypropylene, polystyrene, or combinations thereof.
 15. A method as inclaim 1 wherein the carrier material is a polymeric material that isselected from a polycrystalline material, an amorphous material or acombination thereof.
 16. A method as in claim 1 wherein the carriermaterial is a polymeric material that is paintable to result in a classA automotive vehicle surface finish.
 17. A method as in claim 1 whereinthe carrier profile of each member includes a portion that has a shapeselected from an alphanumeric shape, a polygonal shape, an arrowheadshape, a barb shape, is flat, is curved, or a combination thereof.
 18. Amethod as in claim wherein the length of the member along itslongitudinal axis is smaller than the height of the member. 19-23.(canceled)
 24. A method as in claim 1 wherein the expandable materialvolumetrically expands to a size that is at least 3000% its originalsize up exposure to elevated temperatures. 25-38. (canceled)
 39. Amethod as in claim 1, including locating the expandable material into avehicle cavity by placing the fastener through an opening in a cavitywall.
 40. A method as in claim 1, including forming a through-hole inthe carrier and expandable material post-extrusion, the through-holebeing formed for receiving the fastener.
 41. A method as in claim 1,wherein the expandable material substantially surrounds the carrier butdoes not extend to cover any portion of the fastener.
 42. A method as inclaim 1, wherein the member is formed after extrusion into a selectedshape for filing a vehicle cavity.